Xiao Tian carried Xiao Yi Xian back to his bedchamber and laid her gently on the bed. Then, with Medusa and the others nestled close, they drifted into sleep.
For the next half month, aside from spending time with the women when he could, Xiao Tian devoted himself entirely to a single task: working alongside Xiao Yi Xian to open a spatial wormhole.
As for ships, he dispatched Old Wen to Tian Ya City to acquire a few. If the sellers proved uncooperative, well, a zero-yuan purchase was always an option.
During this period, Old Yin Bone and the other two, thoroughly bombarded by the sugar-coated bullets of Heaven Punishing Divine Palace, had completely reshaped themselves in its image. Their three major sects publicly announced their merger into the palace. The three of them were promoted to elder positions, and as they witnessed the profound depth of Heaven Punishing Divine Palace's foundations, they threw themselves wholeheartedly into its growth.
Hai Bodong, through a few intentional—and a few not-so-intentional—hints, let slip that the palace possessed Earth-rank cultivation techniques. Advanced ones, no less. After that, the three practically begged to work day and night, scrambling to pile bricks and tiles onto the palace's ever-growing edifice, feverishly accumulating contribution points.
In modern terms: *I really want to improve.*
---
Xiao Tian and Xiao Yi Xian spent a full half-month to fully open the spatial wormhole linking Heaven Punishing Divine City and Maple City.
"Finally done. This is not a job meant for humans. It's far too draining."
Xiao Tian stood before the ten-zhang-wide, darkly spinning wormhole and stretched his aching back. It was situated in a side palace of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace's branch in Maple City. Only a fool would place something like this in the core area. The wormhole connected to a matching side palace back in Heaven Punishing Divine City. It wasn't intended for public commerce—purely for internal support or urgent deployments.
"It really is. If I had done it alone, I don't know how long it would have taken. And this is a short one. A long one would probably be endless." Xiao Yi Xian stood beside him, equally worn. She had handled the bulk of the construction. Xiao Tian had only assisted.
He stepped behind her, and with a wave of his hand, a chair woven from Dou Qi materialized. He gently pressed her into it and began massaging her shoulders. "Xian'er, you've worked hard."
Xiao Yi Xian leaned into his touch, sweetness flooding her heart. She shook her head with a soft smile. "As long as I can help you, I'm willing. No matter how tired I get."
Xiao Tian's hands paused. He could feel the depth of her affection woven into those simple words, and it moved him. She had always been like this. In the original story, she was the one most suited to be a wife—the one most willing to sacrifice in silence for the one she loved. They leaned against each other and simply enjoyed the warmth of the moment.
---
Two days later.
Inside the Eternal Dream Palace, within the Heaven Punishing Divine Realm, Xiao Tian, the women, Xiao Zhan, and the rest of the Xiao Family stood gathered outside Yun Yun's chambers. Every face was taut with nervous anticipation.
Today was the day. Both Yun Yun and Ya Fei were forty-one weeks along.
Xiao Tian had arranged for experienced midwives well in advance—elderly women of the Xiao Family, one of whom had even delivered Xiao Tian himself.
As the minutes stretched on, the once-clear sky began to change. At first, only a few faint, strange rays of light shimmered on the horizon. Then, in mere moments, they surged outward, coalescing into an enormous cluster of seven-colored light. A mysterious, awe-inspiring pressure radiated from it.
"Is that… a seven-colored auspicious cloud?" Xiao Zhan stared upward, his voice thick with wonder.
Xiao Tian studied the light cluster. He could feel something else stirring within it, ready to emerge. He nodded. "It is."
"Haha! My grandson is destined for an extraordinary fate!" Xiao Zhan stroked his beard and laughed from the depths of his belly. The Xiao Family was about to flourish. When his son had been born, there had been no signs, no omens—just an ordinary infant. And yet that son had risen to such heights. Now his grandchildren entered the world heralded by wonders. What more could an old man ask for?
Xiao Tian glanced at his father's exultant face and recalled the universal truth: grandparents spoiled their grandchildren rotten. The same man who would have gleefully whipped his own sons with seven wolves would coddle his grandchildren so tenderly he'd fear squeezing too tight or letting go.
"My descendants… Xiao Tian's descendants… are naturally gifted."
Of course they were. His children had been baptized by physique cards from the moment they drew breath. He had nourished them with countless treasures. How could they be anything less?
Everyone around them buzzed with excitement. None of them had ever witnessed such a scene in their lives. The joy on their faces was radiant.
As for Xiao Yi Xian and the other women, their excitement and happiness were tinged with a faint thread of melancholy. One by one, their hands drifted unconsciously to their own bellies. A quiet, secret resolve formed in their hearts. *We'll just have to work harder.*
Xiao Tian felt the shift in their mood. Without a word, he pulled them into his arms, offering silent comfort.
After the seven-colored auspicious cloud fully materialized, the entire area around the palace seemed to quicken with life. The plants and flowers stirred, releasing soft, musical chirps, as if cheering for the new lives about to enter the world.
Then, without warning, a long and profound phoenix cry rang out from within the cloud. A colossal figure began to emerge.
When it fully revealed itself, it was unmistakable. A Fire Phoenix. Its body was immense, radiating a suffocating pressure. Its feathers gleamed with golden light, each one like a blazing sword, burning with endless flame. Its wings stretched dozens of zhang across, every feather enormous and heavy. Its tail was a sea of fire, every plume extended straight, burning bright.
For a long moment, it circled high above, dyeing the entire sky crimson. Then, with one final cry toward the heavens, it dove straight toward the palace below.
The Fire Phoenix's form split into two streams of light. Each stream flowed directly into Yun Yun and Ya Fei.
Though both women were startled, Xiao Tian had already warned them—there might be a slight anomaly when the children arrived.
Outside, the onlookers stood frozen, stunned. They didn't know what kind of Magical Beast this was, but its aura was simply terrifying.
"What exactly is that creature?" Xiao Ding asked, astonished. The others shared the same burning curiosity.
"It's called a Fire Phoenix. I read about it in an ancient text. They vanished ages ago." Xiao Tian delivered the explanation smoothly. There was no way for anyone to fact-check him anyway. As the bearer of the Dragon God bloodline, his very blood could purify anything—it had already purified Yun Yun's bloodline, ensuring she would give him the finest child possible.
"Fire Phoenix… the name alone sounds impressive," someone murmured.
The moment the two streams of light entered the chambers, a midwife burst through the doors, shouting as she ran. "They're born! They're born! Both madams are safe! They've given birth to—"
Before she could finish, two fierce, powerful infant cries tore through the air from inside the palace, cutting her words clean in half.
Xiao Tian exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Both Yun Yun and Ya Fei were safe. He had always known cultivators rarely suffered dangerous births, and with all the nourishment he'd provided, the risk had been nearly nonexistent. But still. He was a father now. The worry had come all on its own.